I wanted to do a special article for 100th post on this blog and I wanted it be interesting and fun for everyone who visited Inexpensive Wedding Ideas Guide. It’s my sincere hope this post on the wedding tradition of something old, new, borrowed, and blue is all that and more for you; I certainly enjoyed writing it!
Almost every bride whether contemporary, country, casual, formal or anywhere in-between usually follows the tradition of having something old, new, borrowed, blue and a penny in her shoe.
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.
The poem is an old English rhyme and the origin is not exactly known but was, however, recited quite often during the Victorian era.
Each item refers to a good luck token for a bride and was thought to be that if the bride carried each of the items on her wedding day that’s she’d have a happy marriage.
In the 1894 edition of The Warren Ledger, a Pennsylvania newspaper, listed it and called it a Puritan Marriage Custom.
As the poem suggests, the bride must collect the five items herself from family or friends. So, here we go, as we “collect” them one by one…
Something Old
This symbolizes continuity with the bride’s family and her past; most frequently it was from her mother or grandmother though it could be from anyone on her side of the family.
A Beautiful Antique Cameo Pin is Something Old
Sometimes it was even an heirloom wedding dress the bride chose to wear but it was always some family “treasure” that she’d carry that meant something special to her family.
Some ideas are:
- For jewelry, you could wear antique (heirloom) earrings or a bracelet, a locket with photographs of your parents (or your grandparents) or even an engagement (or wedding) ring/band that’s been passed down.
- A veil or other headpiece that your mother, grandmother or other ancestors wore at their wedding
- Some lace or other fabric, from an ancestor, that you add to your dress, veil or just tied around your bouquet
- You could also add some vintage buttons to your own wedding dress
If you can’t find anything else you could always use something from your own childhood to symbolize that continuity.
Something New
Something New is Your Perfect Wedding Dress
This represents optimism, good fortune and success in your wonderful new life.
This is the easiest one because the “something new” could be your wedding dress!
Other ideas include:
- Your “oh so perfect” wedding shoes
- Your wedding ring, tiara or other jewelry (a nice touch is to wear some new jewelry given to you from the groom and then passed on to your daughter as her something old!)
- Some beautiful lingerie under your dress
- Another part of your wedding attire like your gloves, veil or shawl
- The fresh, new flowers that you use for your bouquet
- In a pinch, just wearing a newly purchased lipstick or other makeup would work
Remember. the “new” item is meant to convey the message that you and your husband are creating a new union, one that will forever be happy and wonderful.
Something Borrowed
A Lovely Borrowed Vintage Bag
This symbolizes love and the support of family and friends, especially in those times when you really need them.
This is the hardest one because everybody will want you to carry their “borrowed” item and then you have to choose and some people will be disappointed.
This item should be from a happily married (women) friend or family member so that the good fortune in their happy marriage will carry over to you.
Some ideas are:
- A piece of jewelry like your grandmother’s earrings, your mother’s pearls or even that necklace your BFF has worn since grade school (and that she wore are her own wedding!)
- Some clothing like you’re mother-in-laws veil, your favorite aunt’s elegant little bag, your cousin’s wedding shoes… the ideas are endless
- Other things including some honeymoon spending cash your mother slipped you that you slip into your bra or carry the cherished book of poetry that you great grandmother carried at her wedding
Remember though that anything can be borrowed but it must be returned afterwards.
Something Blue
This represents faithfulness, purity, fidelity and loyalty and has been carried over in weddings since ancient Rome times.
As recent as about 100 years ago, blue was a very popular color for wedding gowns; the saying at the time was “Marry in blue, lover be true.”
Something Blue Beautiful Wedding Garter
For this, most brides go for a blue garter, a lovely blue satin ribbon, or have a blue flower in their bouquet, but there are lots of other choices:
- Blue thread in your wedding gown, sash, veil, shoes, or anything else you’ll be wearing
- Other lingerie, either blue or with touches of it
- Something blue in your hair or headpiece; maybe some blue stones in your tiara, blue flowers in your hair or lace one sewn onto your veil, even a blue barrette or streak of blue hair
- One of those vintage late 1800′s/early 1900′s blue wedding dresses
- Blue in jewelry like earrings or other piercings, bracelets or anklets, finger or toe rings, lockets, brooches and pins; some fantastic choices are aquamarine, sapphires, topaz, even some beautiful crystal like Swarovski
- If you’re more daring, how about wearing ice blue toenail polish or neon blue fingernail polish, maybe some dramatic blue (or blue-red) lipstick, even get a blue tattoo (it can be temporary!)
A Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe
And A six Pence in Her Left Shoe
This custom is thought to be an old tradition originating in Scotland where the groom put a silver coin under his foot for good luck.
It quickly became a tradition that the bride place a coin in her left shoe; it must be the left shoe.
This is, of course, a blessing of wealth and financial security for the couple as they start their life together.
Nowadays, a silver sixpence is pretty hard to come by for most people, so you can substitute a copper penny or a dime (hey, it looks silver); you do want it to be a very small coin so it isn’t bothering you all day.
And, in this time of modern salesmanship, there are even companies that will sell you a keepsake silver sixpences for you to put in your (left) shoe at your wedding.
On to My Next Hundred!
I hope these wonderful traditions last forever and that this quick look at historic bridal symbols (and why we continue to do them) remind you of how really beautiful and special a wedding day is and will always be.
I would love to hear from you with any comments on this below and, now, I start my next 100 articles 
.